Milk-bottle holder.



Patented May 23,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET IIIOO J. BURNS.

MILK BOTTLE HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. :5. i915. RENEWED FEB. 22. I916.

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THF. COLImMA'PL/WOGRMH co.. :n'

Winesses J. BURNS.

MILK BOTTLE HOLDER.

RENEWED FEB- 23. L916- APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1915.

Patented May 23, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

THE coLUMBlA PLANOURAPH .co., \vAsnmc'rou; n. c

llll III III II Winesses:

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onion.

JOHN BURNS, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

MILK-BOTTLE HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May as, 19 16.

Application filed March 15, 1915, Serial No. 14,371. Renewed February 23, 1916. Serial N0..80,089.

.zen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Milk Bottle Holders, of which the following is a specifi- My invention consists of a protecting box or casing for milk bottles or the like, and has for its object to provide a device of this class adapted to receive a filled bottle in one compartment and to deliver an empty bottle from another compartment through a closing door which is automatically unlocked by mechanism actuated by the insertion of the filled bottle, the device being so arranged as to provide for the prevention of unauthorized removal or-tampering with the contents of the casing, except by the opening of the locked door.

One preferred form of the invention is illustrated-in the accompanying drawings, in which v Figure 1 is a view of the box in elevation, ready for the insertion of the filled bottle, and indicating the presence in dotted lines of the empty bottle. Fig. 2 is a similar view, indicating the filled bottle after insertion through the top opening in the box. Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the end door opened and the empty bottle having been removed, and indicating the filled bottle as dropped upon the bottom of the box. Fig. 4- is a cross sectional view, indicated by the line IV. IV. of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shows the casing in elevation in its condition after removal ofthe empty bottle and closure of the end door. Fig. 6 shows the casing in elevation with the front sliding door slid back for removal of the full bottle. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the casing, corresponding to Fig. 1, in condition to receive a filled bottle. Fig. 8 is a similar view, showing the end door partly opened after the removal of the empty bottle, and in the act of closing. Fig. 9 is a plan view, similar to Fig. 7, but showing the end door closed after having pushed over the holding latches underneath the door of the insertion openings.

V The casing 2 which incloses the working space of the device, is generally rectangular in shape, of sheet metal or other suitable material, and is provided with circular openings through its top, one or both of which are closed by spring controlled covers or doors 3, 4: respectively. These doors, which are lunged at 5 underneath the top at the edge of the opening, are provided with coiled springs 6, by which the door is thrust upwardly to closing position, as indicated 1n Fig. 4. Each door is capable of being thrust downwardly by the insertion of either a filled bottle a or an empty bottle 6 by reason of the fact that limiting latches or stops 7, 7', are thrust backwardly out of range of the front edge of each cover, as indicated in Figs. 7 and 8, by the backwardly sliding action of the front covering door 8, in opening. Said door 8 is the controlling element of the casing, by the movement of which locking and unlocking are either effected or made possible. It has slidable movement across the front of the casing on suitable guides 9, 9, and is adapted to be locked when closed by a padlock 10 or other suitable means.

Door 8 is provided at its upper inner edge with an inwardly extending lip or finger 11 which in back sliding movement of the door, abuts against the downwardly extending lip 12 of a slide bar 13, inwardly from which extend the two locking latches or abutments 7, 7', for the cover doors 3, 4.

Bar 13 is provided at its other end with an inwardly extending terminal abutment 141 which, when thrust backwardly, is then in range of an inwardly extending finger 15 secured to the inner side of the end closing door 16 pivoted at one corner of the casing, as at 17. This'construction provides for the re-shifting backwardly of bar 13, after the insertion of a full bottle through the opening closed by covering 3, and the removal through the end opening of the casing, covered by door 16, of the empty bottle, which has been inserted by the user through the opening closed by cover 4, after he has released latch 7 by thrusting door 8 backwardly. The full bottle a is thus securely retained against removal backwardly through the opening, due to locking of cover 3 by lip 7, which is thus shifted over, by closing door 16. It will be understood that door 16 is thus closed and shifts bar 13 to insert latches 7 and 7 under doors 3 and 1, after the Inilkman has placed the full bottle through the opening closed by cover 3 into the first compartment, and that the latches do not engage the covers until he has removed the empty.

. The user, in opening door 8 to take out cupy the position shown in Fig. 1. Finger 15 is suiiiciently resilient to be bent back in passing outwardly beyond the adjacent corner of abutment 14, the door being first partially opened by springs 30 until finger 15 makes contact against abutment 11 in.

its thrust out position, and afterward being pulled clear open by using slight pressure. Inclosing door 16, finger 15 being then in straight normal position, will engage abutment 14: for a portion of its movement, sufficient to advance latches 7 and 7- to locking position, and will then on further closing of. the door, swinging around its hinges, ride 03 and free of the corner of the abutment. This movement is clearly indicated in Figs. 8 and 9, showing that there is ample clearance for'the abutment to be then thrust. back without interference.

Extending downwardly in range of the full bottle inserted in cover 3' is a stirrup 18 consisting of two side portions and a cross bottom portion 18, the upper ends of the side portions being pivoted at 19 to the ends of a double sided lever 20, which is pivoted at'21 to a cross pin extending across fromone side of the casing to the other.

Double sided lever 20, like stirrup 18, has a cross bar 22 at its rear end, which operates't'o ride upwardly on the incline face 23 of a locking abutment 24, secured on the inner side of door 16. The purpose of said locking abutment is to interlock with the cross bar 22 of lever 20, which it does when door 16 is closed, the lever'20 being normally drawn down into locking position after being raised by incline face 28' in closing, by a spring 25 provided for such purpose. A limiting bracket 26 in the path of the lever, at one or both sides, arrests its downward movement.

Pivoted to the inner portion of the door 16' near its bottom and adjacent to hinge 17, as by a pivoting joint 27, is a rod 28 extending along the inner side of the casing and engaging one side of stirrup 18, as at 29, whereby to thrust the stirrup backwardly when door 16 is opened, and to thrust it forwardly when said door is closed. Retracting springs 30, 80, of thin sheet metal are secured upon the inner face of door 16, near its opening edge, adapted to' be compressed against the adjacent edge of the casing, as indicated in Fig. 1, and to thrust the door backwardly slightly when it is released by the lifting of the rear end bar 22 of lever 20, out of engagement with the locking abutment 24 upon insertion of the filled bottle,the finger 15 then striking against" abutment 1 1' sidewise, as above described.

A partition 31 is inserted between the first and second compartments to prevent acfore provided: for: first,the insertion of the I filled bottle by the milkman and the removal of the-empty bottlepreviously placed in the second compartment; and, second, the

removal of the :filled bottle by. the userfrom the first compartment and the placement of an empty bottle through the top opening of the second compartment.

Assuming; the apparatus-to be in. position to receive a filled vbottlein the first compartment and todeliver an empty bottle by opening of'theend door 16, the conditions are as follows: Bar13 is in its thrust back position, as in Figs. 3 and 7-, because of theprevious opening of door 8, andbecause abutment 15, upon closing of door 16, has passed inwardly beyond range of abutment 14. Therefore. latches 7- are out of range of coverings 3 and 4', so'thatthe empty bottle has been dropped into the second compartment by the user and the filled bottle may inthe same manner be droppedby the milkman through the openingofthe' first compartment, covering 3, swinging back out of the way and again closing. As the filled bottle descends, it strikes upon the bottom cross bar 18 of stirrup 18, thereby overcoming the pull of'spring 25 and tilting lever 20, so as to unlock the rear door, as in Fig; 2, whereupon said door may be opened, having been first partly opened by springs 30. Further opening'of the door admits access to the second compartment and removal of the empty'bottle b, theoperation 01 opening the door drawing back by rod thestirrup al'lows'spring 25 to act, drawing the cross bar 22 downwardly into range of the locking abutment 24:, which then slides underneath it, when door 16 is closed, looking it. The same movement of. door 16, by abutment 15 thrusts slide bar 13 inwardly bringing latches 7 7 underneath the edges of covers 3 and 4, thereby efi'ectively preventing access to the interior, until door 8 is again unlocked and thrust back. The locking of each of these doors there-fore prevents the removal of the full bottle from the first compartment upwardly, or the introduction of any foreign matter into the second compartment, after removal of the empty. The empty bottle having been thus removed from the secondary compartment and the full bottle inserted in the primary compartment, the user then coming to the case later, unlocks door 8 and thrusts it back and removes the full bottle outwardly. Latch 7 having been thus thrust out of range of cover 4, the empty bottle is then inserted, and cover 3 is free to open inwardly upon the insertion of the next full bottle.

If desired, cover 4 for the second compartment may be omitted, the principal protection in any event being for the full bottle.

The operation as thus carried out is continued from time to time, providing for safe retention of the full bottle and for the operation of the various functions of the device in the sequence noted.

The construction and operation of the invention and its advantages and utility will be readily understood and appreciated by all those accustomed to receiving milk or other similar commodities in bottles or packages which are liable to be stolen or tampered with, as it provides a positive protection against theft of both the full and empty bottles. It may be made in any size and for different capacities as to bottles, or changed or modified in construction to suit different shapes of the same, or otherwise by the skilled mechanic, but all such changes are to be considered as within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A protecting holder for milk bottles or the like comprising a casing having a pri mary compartment provided with an entrance door and an exit door, a secondary compartment provided with an entrance opening and an exit door, and means operated by said exit doors for locking and unlocking the entrance door of the primary compartment. 7

A protecting holder for milk bottles or the like comprising a casing having a primary compartment provided With a selfclosing entrance door and a sliding exit door, a secondary compartment provided with an entrance opening and a hinged exit door, and means operated by said exit doors for locking and unlocking the entrance door of the primary compartment.

3. A protecting holder for milk bottles or the like comprising a casing having a primary compartment provided with an entrance door and an exit door, a secondary compartment provided with an entrance opening and an exit door, a pivoted lever adapted to interlock with the exit door of the secondary compartment having a de pressible portion located in the primary compartment, and a locking and unlocking element for the entrance door of the primary compartment operable by the exit door of each compartment.

4. A protecting holder for milk bottles or the like comprising a casing having a primary compartment provided with an entrance door and an exit 'door, a secondary compartment provided with an entrance opening and an exit door, a pivoted lever adapted to interlock with the exit door of the secondary compartment having a depending stirrup located in the primary compartment, and a sliding bar having a looking and unlocking element for the entrance door of the primary compartn'ient operable in one direction by the exit door or the first compartment and in the other direction by the exit door of the secondary compartment.

5. In combination, a rectangular casing having a primary and a secondary compartment, a spring retracted cover and a sliding exit door for the first compartment, a swinging exit door for the second compartment having a locking abutment and a thrusting finger, a slide bar in range of said thrusting finger having a latch for the spring retracted cover, an abutment on the sliding door adapted to engage the slide bar, and a pivoted lever having a locking terminal at one end adapted to engage the locking abutment of the swinging door and provided with a stirrup depending within the primary compartment.

6. In combination, a rectangular casing having a primary and a secondary compartment, a spring retracted cover and a sliding exit door for the first compartment, a swinging exit door for the second compartment having a locking abutment and a.

thrustin finger a slide bar in ran e of said O U 3 b spring retracted cover, an abutment on the swinging door adapted to engage the slide bar in closing to thrust it inwardly and to ride past said abutment on opening, and a pivoted lever having a locking terminal at one end adapted to engage the locking abutment of the swinging door and provided with a stirrup depending within the primary compartment.

7. In combination, a rectangular casing having a primary and a secondary compartment, a spring retracted cover and a sliding exit door for the first compartment, a swing ing exit door for the second compartment having a locking abutment and a thrust-ing finger, a slide bar in range of said thrusting finger having a latch for the spring re-.

tracted cover, an abutment on the sliding "door adapted to engage the slide bar, a

pivoted lever having a locking terminal at one end adapted to engage the locking abutment of the swinging door and provided With a stirrup depending within the primary compartment, and a device connecting the swinging exit door With the depending stirrup.

8. In combination, a rectangular casing having a primary and a secondary compartment, a spring retracted cover and a sliding exit door for the first compartment, a swinging exit door for the second compartment having a locking abutment and a thrusting finger, a slide bar in range of said thrusting finger having a latch for the spring retracted cover an abutment on the sliding door adapted to engage the slide bar, a pivoted lever having a locking terminal at one end adapted to engage the locking abutment of the swinging door and provided with a stirrup depending Within the primary compartment, a device connecting the swinging exit door with the depending stirrup, and an arresting abutment and a retracting spring for the pivoted lever.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of a Witness.

' JOHN BURNS.

\Vitness:

W. A. HEOKMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

